Optical fiber cables for optical signal transmission are composed of a fiber core formed of optical glass, plastic, or material having optical transmission characteristics, and a jacket which covers the outer surface of the fiber core. It is used in various fields such as optical communications and other electronic equipment. When using such optical fiber cable to transmit an optical signal, it is necessary to enable reception of the optical signal by connecting an end of the optical fiber cable to a signal-receiving device or to another optical fiber cable end spaced from the first end. Various optical fiber connectors have been proposed to make this connection. An example is the connector disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 80,516 filed July 27, 1987. This connector, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, is connected to the end of the optical fiber cable 1; FIG. 8 shows connector 2 connected to one cable, and FIG. 9 shows connector 2' connected to two cables. Both connectors are inserted and connected to respective mating connectors 3, 3', which are mounted on a circuit board 5. The end surface of fiber core 1a opposes opto-electronic element 3a which receives the optical signal from or transmits the optical signal to fiber core 1a.
As is shown in FIG. 10A, the connector 2, shown in FIG. 8, has a retainer insertion opening 2b in housing 2c for insertion of the retainer 4 which retains cable 1 in hole 2a. As shown in FIG. 10B, the end of optical fiber cable 1 with an end of fiber core 1a exposed is inserted in hole 2a; retainer 4, partly inserted in retainer insertion opening 2b, is completely inserted into opening 2b and the edges of U-shaped slots 4a of retainer 4 bite into jacket 1b thereby causing cable 1 to be secured to housing 2a of connector 2.
Various types of cable assemblies are shown in FIGS. 11A through 11D. Both ends of a single cable 1, as shown in FIG. 11A, are respectively connected to a single cable connector 2. Both ends of two cables 1 are connected to a double connector 2' as shown in FIG. 11B. As shown in FIG. 11C, both ends of cable 1' with two fiber cores are connected to two single cable connectors 2 and one double cable connector 2'. FIG. 11D shows a cable 1' with three fiber cores connected to single cable connectors 2 at one end and to a single and a double cable connector 2, 2' at the other end.
As described above, when manufacturing an optical fiber cable assembly which connects one, two or more optical fiber connectors to the ends of an optical fiber cable or cables, the connection of the cable ends to the connectors was made in the past by stripping off a portion of the jacket from the optical fiber cable ends to expose the fiber cores, then connecting the cable ends to the connectors. As long as such connections have to be made individually, however, operational efficiency does not improve. A machine which can perform the aforementioned operations automatically has been sought. In particular, a machine has been sought which, as shown in FIGS. 11B through 11D, can automatically connect ends of a plurality of optical fiber cables to connectors or a plurality of connectors to the ends of an optical fiber cable.